Alabama Recruiting 2012: Is This the Beginning of an SEC Air Raid?

In a post-game interview following the national championship, Alabama football coach Nick Sabansaid the following: "I just want everybody to know I'm not conservative. I want to throw the ball all the time."

Believe me, the fact that we have running backs Eddie Lacy, Jalston Fowler, Dee Hart and T.J. Yeldon is not lost on me. I am fully aware that Nick Saban is not going to neglect the running backs in favor of a five-wide package every down.

However, the talent A.J. McCarron displayed on the championship field in New Orleans raises the question now that we're at the peak of recruiting season: "What could he do with 4- and 5-star receivers?"

A.J. McCarron

Greg McWilliams/Getty Images

The quarterback is the squadron leader in this scenario. When McCarron stepped onto the field in New Orleans, he joined the ranks of Marcus Outzen, Michael Vick, Sam Bradford and Darron Thomas. (Read the article from cbssports.com here.)

The commonality with those four others is that they were all either freshmen or sophomores in BCS title games. McCarron did the one thing that they all failed to do before him: win the title game.

His play in New Orleans definitely solidified his role as squadron leader.

McCarron did all that as a sophomore and a first-year starter. Now he comes into 2012 with something he was severely lacking in 2011: game (big-game) experience.

For more encouragement, check out how his 2011 stats compare to other SEC quarterbacks. (Don't forget he did all that with no superstar at the receiver position, as well.)

Conclusion

Add Nick Saban and Kirby Smart into that mix and you have a recipe for quite possibly the most intimidating total package in recent memory. (Once the defense gets settled, of course.)

With Nick Saban's "I'm not conservative" attitude, Kirby Smart's "End zone? We won't even let you cross the 50" mentality and Doug Nussmeier's "We threw the ball in the Pac-12, so I'm pretty sure that's legal, guys" skill set, the 2012 edition of the Crimson Tide is merely the beginning of an era.

If Nussmeier, Saban and Smart all get on the same page, this is definitely the beginning of an "air raid" era of Tide football. Let's not forget that Trent Richardson was the third-leading receiver on the Tide in 2011 with 29 receptions for 338 yards.

Just because we have running backs doesn't mean they aren't targets. If McCarron is trained and achieves his potential, he has the talent and the tools to make a legitimate run at the 2012 Heisman.

Is this the beginning of an SEC "air raid"? I hope so. If it's going to happen anytime soon, I wouldn't hand-pick a different staff to do it.